Bayo Ogunlesi is a Nigerian lawyer and investment banker. He is currently Chairman and Managing Partner at the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners.
1953
Nigeria
Nigerian
Recipient of The International Centre in New York’s Award of Excellence. Ogunlesi was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019.
Harvard Business School: Member, Board of Dean’s Advisors
Harvard Law School: Member, Leadership Council of New York
Harvard University: Member, Global Advisory Council
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: Member, National Board of Directors
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital: Member, Board of Trustees
Partnership for New York City Fund: Member, Board of Directors
King’s College Old Boys Association: Member
Ogunlesi went to King’s College, Lagos, a secondary school in Lagos, Nigeria. He received a BA with first class honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University in England. In 1979, Ogunlesi received a JD magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, which he pursued at the same time. During his time at Harvard, he was on the Harvard Law Review.
From 1980 to 1981, Ogunlesi served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the United States Supreme Court. Ogunlesi was an attorney in the corporate practice group of the New York City law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he had been a summer associate while studying for his MBA.
In 1983, Ogunlesi joined the investment bank First Boston as an advisor on a Nigerian gas project. At First Boston, he worked in the Project Finance Group, advising clients on transactions and financings and has worked on transactions in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. From 1997 to 2002, he was the Head of the Global Energy Group of the by then renamed Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). In 2002, Ogunlesi was appointed Global Head of CSFB’s Investment Banking Division. Also in 2002, he served as a member of Credit Suisse’s Executive Board and Management Committee. From 2004 to 2006, Ogunlesi was Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer of CSFB.
In July 2006, Ogunlesi started the private equity firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a joint venture whose initial investors included Credit Suisse and General Electric. He currently serves as Chairman and Managing Partner.
In 2006, GIP bought London City Airport. In 2009, GIP acquired the majority in London Gatwick Airport in a deal worth £1.455 billion. The Nigerian press has given him the nickname, `The Man Who Bought Gatwick Airport.’ GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport, which they bought in 2012, and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, which they bought in February 2018.
Parents – Theophilus Ogunlesi
Spouse – Dr Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi
Children – two
https://www.goldmansachs.com/about-us/people-and-leadership/leadership/board-of-directors/adebayo-o-ogunlesi.html accessed 15/06/2022
https://panafricanvisions.com/2014/07/adebayo-ogunlesi-owner-gatwick-airport/ accessed 15/06/2022
https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/goldman-names-bayo-ogunlesi-to-its-board/ accessed 15/06/2022
https://businessday.ng/news/article/without-robust-financial-services-system-nigeria-may-never-achieve-full-potential-ogunlesi/ accessed 15/06/2022
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adebayo_Ogunlesi#cite_note-VenturesAfrica-ManWhoBoughtGatwick-2012-6 accessed 15/06/2022
